Well, I believe in the past I've mentioned that I'm a voracious reader. If need be, I can plop myself into a chair or couch, and provided enough beverages, both caffeinated and non, I can blast through most standard fare in the span of a day with enough time. But that seems to be the key ingredient that I lack in the window of most days, time. It's not that I lead a fantastically exciting existence, but there is that pesky thing called "work", and the fact that I do have a few other hobbies that take up my time. My husband and I have a garden in the spring and summer, which is a surprising amount of work if you've never done it. We also brew our own beer, also surprisingly time consuming. I miss riding my baby, and as soon as this abominable weather clears, she's getting a well-deserved run somewhere. And I'm working on my own novels, don't laugh, it's true, and I'm up to Volume Three, the one for which I have the most ideas and the scenes set up, but the execution is always harder than the dream. Like every other schmuck, (or is it schmuckette?) I also have the need to get some exercise in a given day, if nothing else to, as my Granpa often said, "let the stink blow off".
So, here's a list of the books that I hope to read this following year that have yet to make it into my Stack (yes, it deserves a capital):
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher - Dresden Files nerds from across the globe have been greatly anticipating this one. I won't mention any spoils beyond the nail-biting anxiety that makes one wonder how Butcher is going to recharge this series and get some of his readers to recover from the shock of Changes. That was one of the true "WTF!!!!!????" moments that I've had within my reading history, and even though you knew something monumental was shifting within the series, it was still a heart-stopper. Well done on that front, Jim, but I still blame you for the following kniption. It's set for release on 4/05/11.
Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss - A follow up to The Name of The Wind following the tale of Kvothe, a notorious wizard of epic proportions as he is interviewed by a young scribe. The first novel encompasses his tumultuous youth and entrance into the University as a budding, gifted scholar, the second his equally exciting rise into royal politics and faerie realms as he seeks answers concerning his family honor and the deaths of his beloved parents. It's been a few years in the making for this one, and due to my nature, I have a hard time with patience when it comes to stories and finding out what happens next. Thankfully, this will be released on 3/01/11.
Mister Slaughter by Robert McCammon - I've been eagerly awaiting the paperback version of this, but because I have all the others in this particular series in paperback. Yes, I'm neurotic. The third installment of the legal clerk turned private investigator, Matthew Corbett, and his new assignment to transport a mass murderer, with a set of consequences based on a choice that the killer, Tyranthus Slaughter, gives his jailers. McCammon's done a fabulous job of painting his quirky hero with great vivacity and credibility, but also showing how a character can still grow and be just as fascinating, so I eagerly await this volume when it gets to paperback on 2/28/11.
New Spring: The Graphic Novel - I know I'm not the first to look at this with fangirly excitement and squeal "FINALLY!" Any dedicated WOT-er will probably be enthused and drooling over this one, and thank goodness I'll only have to wait until 1/18/11.
And the Stack includes a few good ones as well:
The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey - I hesitate to make a comparison that sooooo many reviewers have made between Mike Carey's Felix Castor and Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden. But, chances being what they are, if you like one, you probably would like the other. Castor, aka Fix, is an exorcist turned PI, and has a little bit more of an edge to him than Harry, I'd say, however, and the British slant changes the flavor of his equally cutting wit and wisdom. This is the fourth of the Felix Castor novels by Carey, and delves into the harsh choice that Castor has made between his loyalty to loved ones and clients and the consequences that he faces in the pre-apocalyptic battles that only he and the few of his remaining friends are ready to fight for the good of humanity. I'd suggest reading The Devil You Know, Carey's first Castor foray, a great introduction to the hero and his mounting struggle against the rising tide of evil in London.
The Poetic Edda - I managed to get through much of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, so I think tackling this one in bits and pieces would be far easier than how I tried to blast through the other. Whereas much of the Prose had the newly-Christianized slant of the Vikings from Sturluson's time, the Poetic is just the collection of the written poetry, not the version to which Sturluson put a nostalgic twist in the Prose. We'll see how this pans out.
Also included in the Stack are a few other compilations of myths, such as collection of Celtic tales that I picked up, Tolkien's version of Sigurd and Gudrun, a brush up on my Roman history with The Spartacus War, and several other fantasy and fiction tomes.
All in all, hopefully the reading year will be productive, and I can make a dent, if my impulses at the bookstore can be squelched severely enough in the coming year.
But, I make no promises....
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